David Copperfield and the Vanishing Trick of Statue of Liberty
One of the most famous illusions in the history of magic is the one performed by David Copperfield in 1983, when he made the Statue of Liberty disappear in front of a live audience. How did he do it? What was the secret behind this amazing feat?
The illusion was broadcast live on television as part of a special show called “The Magic of David Copperfield”. The audience was seated on a platform that faced the Statue of Liberty, which was illuminated by spotlights. Copperfield explained that he would try to make the statue vanish for a few seconds, and then bring it back. He also said that he would not use any camera tricks or editing, and that everything would be done live.
He then raised a giant curtain that covered the statue from the audience’s view. After some dramatic music and countdown, he lowered the curtain and revealed that the statue was gone. The spotlights that were shining on it were now pointing at the empty space where it used to be. The audience gasped and applauded, amazed by what they had just witnessed.
But how did he do it? The answer is simple: he moved the audience, not the statue. The platform where the audience was seated was actually a huge turntable that rotated slowly while the curtain was up. The statue did not disappear, it was just hidden behind one of the pillars that supported the curtain. The spotlights were also mounted on the turntable, so they moved along with the audience. The whole illusion relied on the fact that the audience did not notice the slight movement of the platform, and that they assumed that they were still facing the same direction as before.
This illusion was a masterpiece of engineering, psychology and misdirection. It took months of planning and preparation, and involved a team of experts and technicians. According to Copperfield, it took him about six months to design and test the illusion, and another six months to get the permits and permissions from the authorities to perform it. It also required a lot of courage from Copperfield, who risked his reputation and career if something went wrong. But he pulled it off, and created one of the most memorable moments in magic history.
